en
en
As a protagonist in the fight against climate change, HyChem has taken concrete steps and intends to continue investing in energy transition, green hydrogen production and technological innovation, towards greater sustainability and for the benefit of shared value with all its stakeholders.
Whether through shareholder groups or actors in the biotechnology field or through the activation of its own capabilities, HyChem has been implementing several innovative projects in Póvoa de Santa Iria that align with its commitment to industrial sustainability within the circular economy concept – an economic model aimed at eliminating waste and continuous use of resources.
One of those projects involves the recovery and valorization of excess hydrogen from the production process in the generation of steam. Since 2015, the boilers have been equipped with new burners, enabling the combined use of two fuels (natural gas and hydrogen) in any percentage combination, which constitutes an innovative solution that adds efficiency and sustainability to the energy system.
Another project in development will enable the HyChem site to be carbon-neutral as early as 2023, when the ALGATEC Eco Business Park, an industrial platform for the production of microalgae (the largest in Europe) co-located in Póvoa, is in the process of capturing all the carbon dioxide emitted by the production process.
ALGATEC plans to use around 2000 tons of CO2 in the production of microalgae, which exceeds even the total volume of direct emissions from the HyChem site.
Another example: HyChem plays an essential role in the innovative Move2LowC project, which responds to the need to combat climate change and transform the economic model through alternatives not solely based on electricity in the area of sustainable mobility. Move2LowC translates the idea of producing biofuels for air transport, and hydrogen and biomethane for heavy road transport.
As part of its long-term strategic vision, HyChem proposes the creation of a circular economy biocluster in the industrial area of the Tagus Valley, which extends for about 12 km on the right bank of the Tagus River, both south and north of Póvoa de Santa Iria.
For the industries in the region, this represents an opportunity to access renewable energy sources (solar and wind), as well as to treat their wastewater and sequester and reuse the CO2 produced through innovative biological-based solutions, similar to those offered by ALGATEC.
An ambitious and future-oriented collaborative approach, in a perfect logic of circular economy, that will greatly reduce the ecological footprint of industrial activities in the Vila Franca de Xira region.
